Random Encounters
by Prowler-Wolf
Summary: Various stories, mostly focusing on Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine. Language warning because it IS Cid we’re talking about, and maybe some blood.
1. Splashdown

_Splashdown_

_They were stealing his plane…THEY WERE STEALING HIS PLANE!_

Cid ran after the plane, the blond fucker flying her clearly didn't know what the hell he was doing. He was going to get that pretty girl in Pink and the Goth in the read cloak killed.

And now they were shooting at them…great just….great.

Cid lunged for the wing. There was no way he was going to let his baby get shot up.

Cid could jump but still it was only a jump it wasn't as if he could fly without a machine to hold him up.

Cid gasped as his fingers caught the wing of the plane and slipped out of his grasp.

Suddenly slender fingers locked around his wrist.

Cid looked up to see the most intense Materia red eyes he had ever seen.

It was the Goth.

_But she was nowhere near the edge of the wing? How the hell did she manage to catch me?_

With more Strength than Cid would have expected the Goth pulled him up onto the wing.

Cid saw five small holes near to where the Blond loony was handling the controls. He looked like he still didn't have a clue what he was doing. The pretty girl in pink seemed to be holding on for dear life, Cid was having trouble holding on himself, yet his savours hand was still holding his. He looked down at their hands and then noticed the Goths other hand.

At first thought it was a gauntlet of some kind it's sharp metal fingers sticking into the wing leaving holes like the set near the cockpit, showing that the nuttier really had let go of the wind to save Cid, but when he looked up he saw something sad and painful shoot though those summon Materia eyes and knew it was not a Gantlet at all.

There was something else in those eyes, some depth that he couldn't fathom and it scared him. He felt like he was being weighed and measured and if he was found wanting, he would he tossed back off the plane into the water.

Cid looked over the edge of the wing.

Oh shit!

They were over the water, and if the plane was hit…to late.

Cid twisted his hand so he returned the Goth' grip. Sure he could swim but swimming in the ocean and swimming in a swimming pool were two very different things.

The Goth looked at him oddly one eyebrow raised. The bottomless depth to the eyes was gone and Cid had the odd feeling that he had passed some kind of test.

Then the plane hit the water.

Some birds can swim, his baby was one bird that couldn't. He didn't really hear want the loopy fuckers who had stolen his plane said he had just answered, something about a boat, his poor baby turned into a lump of metal floating on the water, just waiting to sink and drown.

A boat.

Fuck.

They had been 'sailing' for a while, they had picked up some more passengers too. A cat a robot, a young girl that he just i knew /i would be driving up the wall later, a dark skinned man with a gun for a hand and a well endowed female who would have perked Cid's interest if it wasn't for the fact he had see her beating holy hell into a Nibel Wolf that had attacked them while the 'boat' approached.

Well that and he was still sneaking looks at the silent Goth.

His ears perked up when the girl spoke. To the Goth after being told how they had come by the 'boat.'

"You okay Vincent? Sounds like that was a lot of action after…you know…"

Vincent? **Vincent?**

The Goth was a boy?!

"I'm fine Tifa." The Voice was male. "Thank you."

Cid looked over his shoulder at Vincent who was taking his cloak off to wring the water out of it now that the 'boat' was on the beach and it was steady enough to stand up without risking falling off.

Yep he was a guy, had nice curves for one though, Cid slapped himself over the head. What the bloody hell was he thinking?

"So who the old guy? Looks like he's about to have a heart attack."

Cid was right; the brat had starting driving him up the wall already.

_I need some goddamn tea…_


	2. Galian Beast

_Galian Beast._

Cid wasn't sure what was going on but he knew something was up with Vincent. It had started right at the start of the day. Cid Vincent and Cait Sith shared a tent, mostly because no one else wanted to share a room or a tent with Vincent. Which really bugged Cid but that had never seemed to bug Vincent before.

Usually Vincent was the first to bed and the first to rise. He would be the one to wake Cid on time to leave and press the carefully hidden button on Cait Sith that apparently alerted its controller to the fact that their attention was wanted.

Not today though.

Not only did Vincent over sleep but also unlike the few other times Cid had needed to wake him, the taller man was groggy and slow to come to full wakefulness.

Moody too.

Of course Cid probably hadn't helped, by not only calling him 'Sleepy' but also blaming him for keeping everyone else waiting while they were getting ready.

In the end Cid had told them to go ahead taking Bugenhagen to the Ancient's City, and they could catch up.

Cid had tried to ask what was up with Vincent. He hadn't answered and had kept walking.

That was when they had been attacked by the bandersnatchs.

The fight had been going pretty well. Until some how the last bandersnatch had cast sleep on Vincent.

Cid could do nothing but watch as the former Turk fought to stay awake, dropping to his knees as his eyelids grew too heavy to resist.

Cait Sith started to cast esuna to wake up Vincent but the monster was already moving to attack.

Vincent opened his eyes only to be able to look at his approaching fate in sleepy confusion.

And to see that fate taken off course as Cid dived in front of him to take the blow.

Why?

The force of the blow forced Cid into Vincent and they both fell. Cid was slow to get off Vincent. Muttering curses under his breath.

Vincent could smell blood and knew that the blow had been critical.

"Cid why?"

"A little help here guys!" Cait Sith shouted just as the monster attacked him, and it must have knocked something important loose since the robot stopped fighting, the cat falling off the over sized mog.

The monster now circled Cid and Vincent clearly expecting a quick kill and easy meal since he had already wounded Cid so badly.

Cid looked at Vincent when he though he heard the man growl. Then he noticed that Vincent who had been holding him was gently placing him on the ground.

_Why was he holding me? Why is he leaving me go, he's not going to fight that fucking thing alone is he?_

Suddenly Cid remembered the last time Vincent had been so moody and sleepy, and what had happened.

_Oh shit._

"I am sorry Cid. You was hurt because of me, and now that I am alone in this fight this is the only way I can defeat this monster."

Cid closed his eyes, it had only been a blink but it was getting harder and harder to keep awake.

By the time Cid opened them again Vincent was already laying his gun on the ground.

The monster sprang at them ready to rip apart the wounded human and his defender.

Vincent threw himself at the monster, becoming a monster himself. Purple skin and fur taking the place of skin and cloth.

The Galian Beast made quick work of the threat.

A crunch of bone, a flash of red and the beast was looking around for more pray.

Finding none the beast grew board.

He took a few bites form the bandersnatch he had killed but he wasn't hungry enough yet to eat with the buzzing in the back of his head filled with disgust with such an act.

Looking around he saw Vincent's fallen friends.

The inanimate one didn't move or make any noise Galian dismissed it with a snort. Then turned to the other one.

Gillian shook his head his red main flying as he did so. The buzzing the words that he didn't understand getting louder, it was scared, it wanted him to leave.

Gillian looked around but he saw no threat, yet the buzzing, the voice insisted.

But…the hurt man was his friend…wasn't he?

He remembered his last fight a little, that man had healed his wounds after that horrible living door had hurt him…the man was no threat, and there was nothing else around...

But the blood… Galian may not have been hungry but the smell of blood excited him, made him restless, he didn't want to just lay there and watch the man slowly pass out as the voice started shouting even more.

Other voices agreed, Galian could feel their excitement at the smell of blood, they wanted to go and do something. To hunt, to kill, to spill blood.

Galian shook his head again. Voices always voices the beast wasn't sure which was worse, the horrible black void that he was trapped in most of the time or the voices that plagued him when he was free.

The loud annoying babble that he couldn't understand but could feel the emotions behind.

A voice, a voice from outside his head.

The blond man had said something. Galian didn't understand but the voices inside his head reacted to the voice of the man.

Galian growled, it felt as if there was a war going on in his head.

The human spoke again.

Galian approached him, then paused again as the voices grew painful, he whined, the voices had never been this bad before.

The human was looking at him.

Galian turned his head to the side, the human hadn't been talking to him before, he had just been talking to himself, as he dragged himself across the ground towards the white and black thing that wasn't alive, but had moved as if it was.

Galian padded over to the thing, the voices hushed.

The human was reaching for something in the things hand, and as he got closer the voices started to get louder again.

Galian looked down at the odd cone shaped thing that the man seemed to want so badly. He nudged it towards the man and the curve of its roll carried the item to the human's hand.

The man looked at Galian again.

And the voices had fallen silent.

It was as if the world had held its breath waiting for something to happen.

The human broke the stillness first casting the same spell he had once cast on Galian.

The human spoke to him again meaningless words to Galian, again Voices in his head started shouting, the words again meaningless but this time the feelings behind them.

_Hate._

_Bloodlust._

_Fear._

_Curiosity._

Galian was confused the Human had helped him before, why should he hurt him? Why should he feel like attacking? Why should he feel like running away?

Why was the human still looking at him?

More words that he didn't understand.

_Confusion._

_Impatience._

_Fear._

_Disgust._

Yet that disgust seemed to be aimed at one of the voices rather than the human or Galian himself.

The human stood up, again talking, reaching a gloved hand out to him.

Galian stepped forward.

The fearful voice suddenly grew stronger and louder than the rest, Galian recoiled from the human. Whimpering in pain. Fear and a desperate determination attacking him form within.

With one last look back at the friendly human Galian ran away.

Hours later Vincent opened his eyes, he was surrounded in trees, forest clutter and one stone in particular digging into his side.

Sitting up and leaning against a nearby tree Vincent tried to remember how he got here.

_Cait Sith had been disabled...Cid was hurt...and I..._

"No..."

Vincent searched the parts of his mind that he dreaded, who had gotten out? Chaos couldn't have, he may be the strongest monster mentally but hadn't yet been able to takeover his body. He flinched as he brushed past the Hellmasker's and Death Giga's minds, they were still to full of hate, bloodlust, and pent up frustration, they couldn't have gotten out. And told him so in no uncertain terms.

That left Galian Beast.

The beast couldn't talk, but Vincent picked up on tiredness confusion and sadness.

The last two Vincent didn't understand, usually Galian was tired and content for a few days after it had, had it's little rampage, Galian was easy to please, a hunt a kill and some fresh meat usually weakened it's resolve allowing Vincent to reclaim his body, something else had happened this time. Vincent risked pressing closer on the beast's mind to learn more.

_Blood, Fear, Pain, A face._

Cid's face.

Vincent dropped his head to his hands. No! Not Cid, no more sins to be added onto the already too long list.

Why does everything go wrong, why does everything he does cause more pain.

And now he had killed the only man who had tried to make friends with him.

_I've killed my only friend._

"Vincent!"

Vincent looked around. Cloud?

Vincent fought to his feet, using the tree as a crutch. He couldn't let anyone find him. He would only kill more people if he did.

"Vincent!" Another voice Tifa.

"Hey creepy!" Yuffie this time.

Vincent stood on his own feet, where could he go? He had to hide.

"Don't call him 'creepy' Brat!"

Vincent looked in the direction of the voices. It couldn't be.

"Why not old fart? I've heard you call him loads of names 'Sleepy' 'Batty' 'Goth-boy'."

"I don't call him 'Goth-boy' Thief."

"Wouldn't it be wiser to use our energy looking for our friend rather than arguing like this?"

"Like the cat said, shut up and start shouting."

"Barret...that may be the dumbest thing you've ever said."

"Yeah well at least I'm not as stupid as flyboy here, waltzing though the woods with a half healed side."

Vincent hadn't even noticed that he had been walking towards the voices until he had stepped though the last few trees dividing them.

"There you are!" Tifa exclaimed on seeing him.

The rest of the group turned around to see the darkly clad man.

"Cid told us what happened." Barret said.

"Are you okay?" Cloud asked.

Vincent nodded.

Everyone was there bar Cait Sith, who probably hadn't been fixed yet, and Bugenhagen who was probably the one fixing him.

Everyone.

They all cared that much for him.

So much so that they put their quest on hold to go looking at him.

Why? They didn't need him. If anything he put them at risk.

After a few more questions and answers before everyone started walking back to Bone Village to pick up Bugenhagen who, as Vincent has suspected, was fixing Cait Sith.

"Vincent."

"Yes Highwind."

"Are you sure your okay?"

"Yes Cid." Vincent said looking ahead not wanted to look Cid in the eye. "I'm fine."

"Good then, 'cause you scared me you know."

"I scare a lot of people Cid."

"I wasn't scared _of_ you Vincent."

Surprised Vincent turned to face Cid.

"I don't understand."

"Well it's wasn't the first time I'd seen Galian and he seemed, different, this time. When he ran away he seemed scared."

"Ran away?" Vincent frowned. "I thought it attacked you."

"Attacked me? Fuck No, he helped me actually..."

"Hey! Golden Oldies! Pick up the pace!" Yuffie shouted from somewhere ahead. "Last thing we need is losing you two again."

Cid shouted some random curses at the thief.

"Come on Vin last thing we need is her giving us a headache."

After staring at Cid's receding back for a few seconds Vincent followed.

The end 


	3. Crashed Gelnika

_Crashed Gelnika_

"Cid what the hell was you thinking!"

Cid didn't answer he was sitting on some random oil drum he ran a shaky and though his hair. Barret kept ranting at him.

"You're a _pilot_. I can't believe you'd be stupid enough to throw _dynamite_ inside this rotting lump of Rust."

"Barret."

"Did your brain blow a fuse or something? Damn-"

"BARRET!"

"What!"

"Go and get Vincent."

"Damned fool nearly blows us up and you want me to go and get that freak." "Don't call him a fucking freak." Cid hissed.

Cloud rubbed his forehead.

"Barret please, just go."

"Yeah yeah I'm going."

It was only after Barret had left, muttering the whole time about how they were meant to be hunting down the underwater WEAPON rather than treasure hunting, that Cloud turned back to Cid.

"If you couldn't handle it you shouldn't have come."

"I know." Cid sighed. "I thought that, even if it was underwater, being on a plane would be easier than being on the sub. I was wrong. I should go back instead of Barret."

"Maybe." Cloud agreed. "But then who would tell us, which parts of this plane are most likely to have something useful, and which parts are most likely to give way under the water."

"I just don't do too well in places where I can't stretch my wings. Can't even have a smoke with all this damn oil around."

"Cid you just threw a stick of dynamite at whatever that giant bat thing was and now you're worried about the fire hazard a lit cigarette may be?"

Cid shot Cloud a nasty look.

"So why do you want Vincent here instead of Barret?"

"Because I think Vincent is less likely to kill you if you lose it again like that." Cloud said. "And we might be able to avoid more anymore trouble with him a long, I don't know what Hojo done to him, but he had even better hearing than a SOLIDER."

"Is that so?"

Cloud jumped and looked around to see Vincent behind him.

"How can you walk so quietly when you have metal boots on?" The question came out more as a shout as he startled badly.

Vincent didn't answer, he did however catch Cid's eye and the pilot was sure the gunman was amused by Clouds reaction.

"Barret said you wanted me on the team?"

"Yeah…we've only got half of this place left to check so it shouldn't take to long, oh and we found a new gun for you."

Cloud pulled the gun out from where he had tucked it into his belt and passed it to the cloaked man. He had another weapon tied he had found tied to his back, he was going to offer that to Yuffie, that is if she didn't steal it off him first.

"Outsider class, fitting name." Vincent said turning his gun over in his hands. "And it's in remarkably good condition considering the surroundings you found it in."

Cid and Cloud looked at each other, this was the most animated Vincent had been since they had found _that woman__'s_ cave.

Vincent tucked the gun away in his own belt. He would thoroughly clean and check it before trusting in on the battle field, as he did with all his guns.

"So, Barret mentioned the beasts here were particularly bothersome?"

"Fucking nasty is what they are." Cid muttered

"Come on the quicker we check for anything useful, the quicker we can get out of here."

Cloud headed for the door to another section of the sunken plane, Vincent quirked an eyebrow when he saw Cid pull a cigarette out of the pack he kept tucked into his goggles.

"Don't worry I'm not dumb enough to light it."

"Glad to hear it Chief."

Cid muttered obstinacies under his breath as he followed the gunman and Cloud. The large door opened out to a walkway that over looked what must have been the hanger, the wreckage of a helicopter was smashed against the side wall.

"Hey the manifest we found said that the choppers were experimental, maybe they'll have something I can use on my baby." Cid said.

Cloud shrugged. "I don't see anything else useful."

Cid descended the stairs but something caught his eye in the opposite corner of the cargo bay.

"Cid we're meant to stay close, those monsters could be anywhere."

"Indeed." Vincent added as he passed Cloud on the stairs.

"He didn't mean you Valentine and you know it." Cid replied as he looked over what he had found. "This looks good."

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

"It looks like a transmitter, but more advance than anything on the Highwind, The gal _should_ be able to get a much better idea of where we are if we need to radio for help."

"That's what a Phone is for."

"This looks more reliable, I bet could use this to guide a god damn missile or something." Cid grinned at Cloud as he tucked the small slightly rusted device in his cargo pants pocket. "Tell me that wouldn't be useful in a fight."

"That's if you can get it to work."

"I think I may have spotted something." Vincent said interrupting the pair. He lifted his gun and used the scope to get a better look. "I looks like a summon materia."

"Let's grab it and go." Cloud said. "Before Cid has a heart attack."

"Oh ha ha." Cid muttered.

The three approached the helicopter but just as Vincent was about to pick up the materia Cid shoved him to one side.

A disgusting meaty flower like…thing spring out of the twisted metal, it narrowly missed the gunman and would have hit Cid if he hadn't blocked the blow with the spear.

A crack split the air as the pilot's weapon split in half.

"Oh _shit_-!"

Cloud slashed across the mockery of a flowers face before it could attack Cid again. Vincent's bullets struck home as Cid crouched over the now useless weapon.

"You damn fucker!" He shouted as he dug out the equipped materia. "I'll shove a damn stick of dynamite up your ass."

"You'd better not!" Cloud muttered using his sense materia to look for a weak spot to attack. It was clear in how his face darkened that he couldn't find one.

"It's a flower; I don't think it has an ass." Vincent said as he cast Barrier on the weaponless Cid.

Judging by the glare he got, the pilot was far from grateful. Cloud attacked the monster again and Cid picked up the sharp end of the spear and charged at the monster driving it into the things flesh and he could. It shot something at him then, some kind of tentacle with a needle like spike on the end, luckily it didn't get pass the barrier, but the force of it hitting the magic pushed Cid back.

Cloud cast Bio but unfortunately the poison didn't take hold. Cid cast an ice spell; the limited light in the room reflected off the ice and caught on something on the balcony.

"Cover me!" Vincent shouted as he jumped on to the wreckage."

"What? Damn it Vincent this is not the time to go wandering!"

"Vincent wait!" Cid sorted though the materia that he was now holding lose in his hands. "Oh bugger it!"

Cid picked one at random and cast the spell on the thing.

"Gotta love Lady Luck." Cid smiled as the slow spell took effect.

Vincent mean while jumped up from the wreckage and pulled himself up onto the walkway. He grabbed the thing he had spotted. He smirked. It was even labeled.

_Spirit Lance_

"Vincent look out!"

Cloud's warning came too late.

The tentacle needle stuck Vincent in the stomach. He sunk to his knees his vision turning red on the edges. He reached down with his gauntlet and closed his claws around the needle, the fleshy part of it failing like a detached lizard's tail. His grip on the Spirit Lance tightened and he ground his teeth together as he pulled the needle out.

He gasped as it came free and tossed it over the rail.

Vincent tried to push himself to his feet when pain pulsed though his body again. His claw gripped and crushed the guard rail.

He could feel it in the back of his mind, the howls and cries for blood. But Vincent fought to remain in control. They couldn't afford a monster rampaging loose on this plane, least of all the fire elemental Galian Beast.

Vincent dragged himself to his feet, each throb of pain followed by a rush of power that dragged him farther from rational though.

The putrid bad air from another attack burned Vincent's lungs as he dimly realised he had been attacked again, Sparks flashed across his skin, perfect Death Gigas's lighting was just as bad as Galian's fire.

"Cloud!"

Vincent managed to focus long enough to see Cloud knock Cid out of the way of another attack.

"Cid!"

The pilot looked up just in time to see Vincent throw the weapon he had found into the air, arcs of electricity sparking around it as it flew into the hair.

Cid jumped for it caught the handle twisted it in midair and with a flash of blue light drove it into the centre of the creepy-meaty-flower-thing.

Just as he pulled free of the monster, the pale skinned, scared covered, Death Gigas dove on it pounding it with his fists until it threw him off, he landed in the tangled wreckage of the chopper.

Cloud cast the strongest ice spell he had Cid followed it with slash of his new spear, Cloud delivered the finishing blow.

Panting Cid and Cloud looked at each other and then over to the helicopter.

"Vincent?" Cloud called.

"Oi. You okay?"

There was a groan before a golden claw became a visible followed by a black arm and a red cape.

"Define okay."

Cid sighed. "He's fine."

Vincent threw the red materia in his hand into the air and caught it before tossing it to Cloud.

Cloud looked over the powerful materia before tossing it back.

"I'd say you earned it."

"Great." Cid said slotting his materia into his new lance. "Can we leave now?"

**Omake:**_ Why Vincent and Yuffie could be friends but never lovers. _

"Cloud what are you going to do with that ninja weapon you found?"

"I think Yuffie can use it."

"If the brat wants it she'll take it off you before you could offer it."

Cloud shrugged as the three men limped back to the sub hoping that nothing else attacked them.

"Do you mind if I give that to Yuffie?"

"Why?"

"I'm hoping she'll stop trying to cheer me up if I give her a thank you present."

_ Please note that no offence to any Y/V fans out there is intended._


	4. Last Night

AN: So far all these random stories could be considered sequential in which case this would be the first one that's out of order because I have a few ideas that would take place before this. But I wanted to update. And just like with the last one there's a slight dig at the V/Y ship. I don't know why my stories keep doing that. I like Yuffie! The next one will have some real romance in it, I swear.

_Last Night_

Cid had just been on the phone to rocket town for three hours, and even if he had the whole night to prepare himself for the fight against Sephiroth there is only so much time a man like Cid could spend on the phone pretty much saying 'I don't intend on dying soon, but I might anyway so I guess I ort to say something half decent for you to remember me by.'

He's been all over his baby making sure it would be okay for the flight and would make it back to rocket town even if he didn't.

He could see Tifa and Cloud sitting outside in the dark but didn't call to them. They looked like they didn't want to be disturbed. The pair probably wanted to watch the sunrise together or some other kind of romantic shit like that.

Barret had gone over to Kalm to see Marline and whatever her name that used to look after Aerith, god rest her soul.

He had no idea where Red or Vincent had gone, and didn't really care where Yuffie had gone as long as it was far from him.

So there wasn't much left for Cid to do, he was going to do one last round of his baby and go to bed. Just because there was a good chance he was going to die the next day didn't mean he shouldn't be well rested.

Cid blinked when he heard muttering in the forward lounge. Curious Cid walked in and stared at what he saw…he honestly would have been less surprised to see Vincent and Yuffie going at it on the couch; disgusted, but less surprised.

Cid tried to back out without being caught.

But even when he's sitting on the couch, elbows resting on his knees, and a golden cross hanging from his clasped hands, eyes closed and praying, there wasn't much Vincent Valentine missed.

"You don't have to leave."

"S-sorry Vin. I didn't realize."

Which was stupid considering how much Valentine kept going on about sins and demons and heaven and hell, he should have known that he was religious.

"I didn't mean to disturb you, I thought you had gone to Kalm."

"I wanted to see the sunset."

"You went all the way to Kalm just to watch the sunset?"

"You was doing the same yourself from the top of the Highwind."

"But why Kalm?"

"I like watching people."

"I see…you know if you want me to go…"

"I wouldn't want to keep you away from your own preparations."

"I was done, so…you were praying for forgiveness or something?"

"I was praying for Sephiroth's defeat and everyone's safe return. I'm beyond forgiveness."

Cid pulled his pack of cigarettes out from his goggles and made a fuss out of opening it and pulling one out.

"Never pegged you for the religious type." Cid grunted into the silence. "And after everything we've been though…we've seen the lifestream Vin."

"God made the planet, he could have made the lifestream." Vincent relied.

"Got to admit you got me there." Cid said lighting his cigarette.

The awkward silence stretched uncomfortably. Again Cid turned to leave.

"If you don't believe in god, what do you believe in?"

"I believe in us." Cid said turning back and sitting next to Vincent. "There's not one of us going to the crater that I wouldn't trust with my life. And if we all watch each other's backs I think we'll be just fine."

"Of course…" Cid added nodding to Vincent and the gold cross hanging from his clasped hands. "There's nothing wrong with asking for a little help from on high if he really is up there."

Vincent shook his head.

"You'd have to hope that he's not mad at you for taking him name in vain all the time chief."

"If we get out of this I may just stop doing that." Cid smiled at Vincent. "So have you always been religious?"

For a long time Vincent didn't answer. Cid just leaned back smoking. A few moments later Cid offered a second cigarette to the gunman.

"My grandfather was a priest." Vincent admitted when he took the cigarette and the lighter that was offered a few moments later.

"No shit. My grandpa was an air man…"

In the morning when the rest of AVALANCE arrived back at the Highwind they found the pilot and the gunman sleeping side by side on the couch, an ashtray full of cigarettes on the table before them.


	5. Absolution

_AN: This is actually part of a much larger story that I'll probably never post but this segment works on its own so here it is. **This has major spoilers for the new Vincent Valentine game Dirge of Cerberus DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE GAME!**_

_**I mean it!**_

_Don't say I didn't warn you..._

Absolution

They had found him, finally, and that little brat had had a good idea that he would have been in that bloody cave the whole time.  
Women, he'll never understand any of them.

Cid was fuming, he hadn't gone with the others to pick him up because he didn't trust himself not to punch the gunman across the face the second he saw him.  
After everything he had been though, he went to see her, when to see her before even letting anyone else know he was alive.

Why the hell did be buy that phone anyway!

It was easy enough to get out of the submarine ride, and again how the hell could Reeve afford to rent a damn sub? It was no secret how much he hated it last time. 

The pilot was perched atop a cooling vent on the top of Tifa's bar.  
If Vin wanted to talk to him, the gunman was going to come to him. Cid was sick of always holding his hand out and never having Vincent take him up on the offer.

Eventually the others came back, Cid could hear the party starting.  
Vincent hated parties.  
Cid smirked.  
Good let him suffer.

It wasn't even an half hour before Cid heard the door to the roof open.

He walked right past Cid and stopped at the edge of the roof, leaning on the railing, looking up at the sun.

"I - " Vincent paused for a few seconds before starting again. "I'm sorry you lost the Shera."

"Couldn't be helped, bastard took her from the inside out and gutted the engines. Baby didn't have a chance."

"I'm still sorry."

"It's just a damn ship!"

It wasn't the first time he had shouted at Vincent. But it was the first time that Vincent had flinched because if it.

"It's not just the damn ship is it?"

"I was wrong."

"What about?"

"Chaos. Hojo. Lucreica...Everything."

The last was almost whispered.

Cid slid off the cooling vent and walked up to Vincent.  
"Vin?"

When Cid got no reply he grabbed the others shoulder and spin him around. Ready to shout in his face.  
Only to see tears running down his face.  
"Vincent..."

"It's nothing, I was staring at the sun too long."

"Bullshit." Cid growled. "Why didn't you phone us to let us know you were okay?"

Vincent didn't answer looking away.

"Damn it Valentine! Talk to someone, anyone! Talk to the robot girl, talk to the damn ninja, talk to Reeve, talk to m - " Cid choked. "Talk to someone damn it."

"I couldn't."

"Why the hell not!"

"I had to say goodbye first, to let her know it wasn't her fault…that, I forgave her..."

"You forgave her?" Cid asked not understanding. "What for?"

Vincent didn't, couldn't answer him, but he saw the pieces fall together in Cid's eyes.

"That...that goddamn bitch!"

"Cid-"

"She did it to you! She did it and you forgave her! What the hell happened to wanting revenge!"

"Cid it was never for m - "

"Just because it was her and not Hojo, When are you going to stop worshiping her? She's dead! She's dead and the worlds better for it!"

The silence was deafening.

"Shit. _Shit_ Vin I'm s - "

Vincent turned away walking back to the rail.  
"And that is why I didn't phone."

"Vince I didn't mea-"

"Hojo shot me, killed me." Vincent talked over the pilot. "He killed me, resurrected me and experimented on me had his twisted little fun, until I died again."

Vincent turned back to face Cid "And he then left me to rot."

Vincent flexed his golden claw he took hold on the cold metal forearm and twisted. With a click and a hiss the limb was removed.  
"Some parts rotted away faster than others."

Cid swallowed feeling sick.

"She saw it happen, to horrified and to afraid and ill to stop him. But when he had finished. She, she tried to make things right. I didn't remember until I fought - " Vincent stopped, he glanced at Cid for a second before reattaching his arm. "Until I fought Weiss. She spent the last few months of her life trying to save me. Eventually she...afterwards she was horrified by the results. I remember how'd she..."

Vincent paused again and took a deep breath.  
"She would cry for him too, her son. Hojo never let her see him."

"Damn Vince...I"

"Cid?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if we just go back down stairs and have a couple of cold ones?" Vincent asked. "Just like old times."

Cid smiled.  
"Sure thing Vince."


	6. Humane Pg13

_Although I personally think that this can still go under the **PG** rating (or maybe be **PG-13** to be safe) I've put on the all of the 'Random Encounter' stories whereas up until now the Cid/Vin element could have be viewed as simple friendship this one takes place in some dim, a distant future where they are an established couple. In fact this was going to be a lemon when I first wrote it...but I chickened out. (And good thing to considering the no lemon policy on this site.)_

_So yeah sorry for the ramble I'm just warning everyone not to expect a friendship fic this time. _

Humane

Sometimes Cid wasn't sure how to act around Vincent. Sure they were meant to be 'together' now but often, if he tried to start something Vincent would get skittish. Cid figured it was ether guilt because he was with Cid when Vincent must have thought that he should still be morning over Lucreaica, or maybe he was scared, Cid never really did know what happened in that Lab...  
Then sometimes Vincent surprised him.

Like now.

Cid had just entered his cabin of the Highwind, kicked off his boots and tossed his jacket over the back of his chair.  
He sat down and reached over his desk for his log and pen.  
_Engine 2 still twitchy, rip Ricky a new one for faulty ma-  
_Cid dropped his pen as five cold something's traced a pattern down his neck.

"GEEZ! Vincent!" Cid heard a small sound of amusement behind him. "Give a man some warning before you do that."

Vincent walked around to the front of Cid's desk picked up the pen and log book and move them out of the way before meting Cid's eyes.  
Cid had been expecting it, but still having those eyes focused on him made his heart miss several beats.

The thing to remember with Vincent was the fact that he wasn't completely human anymore. And sometimes when he looked at Cid, he looked at him as if he was the pray, and Vincent was the predator.  
And he was right.  
Cid didn't remember standing up but he was as Vincent reached over with his claw gently tracing it down his cheek.

It sent shivers though Cid, and he could see the others in Vincent's eyes, his four demons were they crying out for Vincent to press a little harder? To draw his blood, or were they just feeding on the emotions flowing though Vincent right now?  
After all, love isn't the opposite of hate.  
But Vincent wouldn't go any further. Cid knew that Vincent would never hurt him.  
Ever.

Cid reached forward undoing the buckles on Vincent's cape one by one stepping out from behind the desk as he did so.  
Then Vincent pounced, his lips consuming Cid's, each of his hands taking hold of Cid's wrist so he couldn't get away.

As if he would ever try.

Cid pushed into the kiss, he might be pray but he wasn't a meek little mouse. He was a dragon and he was going to fight.  
Cid fought to take control of the kiss pushing Vincent against the wall. Vincent let go of Cid's wrists to take hold of Cid's shoulders to push him away, to regain control.  
Cid wasn't going to let ether happen.  
With his hands free Cid took hold of Vincent's waist with one hand and Vincent's head with the other.  
Cid broke the kiss gasping for breath, feeling a rush from the redness of Vincent's face and the wildness in his eyes.

"Finish what you started Vincent." Cid said restarting the kiss.

Vincent tried to manoeuvre the two of them somewhere, the bed the desk Cid didn't know or care. He did however know that it hadn't been the floor, Vincent would never have dropped him so violently if that had been the case.

Brain caught up with body and Cid realized they had tripped, which was why Cid's head hurt, and why Vincent had landed so heavily on him...not that he was complaining...  
Well he wouldn't be complaining if Vincent was doing something more than just sitting on him.  
Cid glared at the other man to see that Vincent was staring at Cid's upper arm.

_  
Oh shit!_

Cid hadn't even noticed but somehow as he had tripped and dragged Vincent down with him, Vincent's claw had cut his arm.  
Last time something like this had happened Vincent had fled the room and hadn't allowed Cid to touch him for a week.

Cid held his breath as Vincent stared at the scratches. He could see the conflict in those garnet eyes.  
_  
Stay go stay go go stay go stay go go stay stay go stay go..._

"Vincent...you'll hurt me more if you leave."

Vincent trailed his pale slender fingers across the cuts.

"These...don't bother you?"

Blue eyes met red.

"Never."

Vincent held his bloody fingers to Cid's lips.  
"Prove it."

Cid licked the blood of each of Vincent's fingers, watching Vincent's eyes dilate as he did so. Cid didn't like the taste of his own blood, the metallic, salty taste of it in his mouth, but the look on Vincent's face was worth it.

Suddenly Claws were in tangled in his short hair and Vincent's mouth on his again.  
It should have scared Cid, he speed with which Vincent moved, the strength that was in his lithe limbs. The wildness that would invade his eyes.

_Inhuman._

Soft flingers traced down his side. The reassuring weight on him. The fierce, searching, tenderness of his mouth. The need in his eyes.

_But still humane._


	7. Death Penalty

AN1 : I have a lot of apologising to do (Although not as much as Lucrecia 'I'm so sorry' Crescent ) First I take forever to update. Although take a look at my Profile and you can see the shiny that distracted me.

And then when I do update I give you this rubbish. I tried really I did.

* * *

_Death Penalty_

After being trapped in that cramped uncomfortable metal tomb of a submarine Cid couldn't wait to get out and explore the odd little grotto they had come across. Red and Vincent had felt much the same. Red had come out and said so. Vincent however had simply been growing quieter and brooder as their time on the sub had continued. Cid should know, he was still sharing a room with him and the pilot could practically_ hear _the gunman's brain over working, it was keeping him up at night.

Barret, Tifa, and Cait Sith said they had no problem keeping an eye on the sub, they didn't have no where near as much trouble on the sub as Cid did and was glad to see the tightly wound captain go, he was twice as short tempered under the water than above and as much as they liked the guy he was trying their nerves.

Yuffie had insisted in exploring to see if she could find anything useful, or even better, something valuable that she could lay claim to.

Initially Cloud had asked Cid to go with Yuffie. But the pair of them had loudly, vehemently, and in Cid's case explicitly protested the idea.

In the end Yuffie had insisted that no one had to come with her, but if Red happened to tag along she wouldn't complain.

"After all your not a dirty old who would like to keep an eye on my backside."

Cid started making gagging noises to which Yuffie just huffed and flounced away.

"Girls like that made me glad I never got married." Cid muttered.

He then realised that he was in the company of two men who and probably would have married their respective girls if they had the chance.

Luckily ether they hadn't heard what he had said or had dismissed it without thinking to hard. Cid decided to button his lip before he could force his boot any further down his throat.

The real trouble had started when they had entered the cave only to find out that the woman that had caught poor Vincent's heart was inside.

_"Vincent?"_

_"That voice? It can't be...Lucrecia…?"_

She was dead, or asleep, or something that Cid didn't understand that was between the two, and either way she was there, and lucid enough to talk to Vincent.

You'd think that could be good. The marksman could get some closure or something.

_"Stay back!"_

Of course that would have been too damn easy wouldn't it?

_"Lately, I dream a lot of Sephiroth... My dear, dear child." _

Cid himself wanted to slap her silly for mucking up her kids life so badly that they now had to stop him from killing everything in existence.

_"Ever since he was born I never got to hold him, even once..." _

But no.

_"Vincent... Won't you please tell me?" _

That stupid bloody idiot.

_"Lucrecia... Sephiroth is dead..." _

He tried to comfort her, lied to her and done anything he could to help her even though Cid thought it should have been the other way around.

Which of course meant he was hurting even more, telling her that her son was dead, when in fact they were on their way to kill him their selves.

If the stupid bastard kept up this behaviour he was going to kill himself, and it may not be an accident.

When Vincent asked to be left on his own with her Cid was ready to protest the idea even more loudly, vehemently, and explicitly than he had protested the idea of being stuck with Yuffie for hours.

Cloud however clapped his hand on Cid's shoulder and started steering Cid out of the cave.

"You got an hour, if your not back by then I'm sending Yuffie and Cait to get you."

Once outside the cave Cid turned on Cloud but before he could even open his mouth Cloud cut him off.

"I know what your thinking and I don't think he'll do it."

"Why they hell wouldn't he kill himself?"

"Because he told her that her son was dead. He won't do anything drastic now until that lie becomes a truth."

"Then what's all this be back in an hour rubbish then?"

"Insurance. Vincent likes Yuffie, he wouldn't want her finding him dead, if there's one person here capable of annoying him it's Cait, and if coming back early means he won't have to deal with him, then he won't."

Cid still hadn't agreed and said so, loudly, vehemently, and explicitly.

But Cloud had been right. That time.

This Time however Vincent had asked to see her again, when he had killed her husband less than twenty four hours earlier.

The fall out from Vincent's request had not been pretty.

"Oi Spike gave us all time to do what we needed, if you didn't then it's just gonna have to wait won't it!"

Vincent turned to Barret, his tone clam and even, the opposite of the former terrorist's.

"And how would you suggest I would have been able to get down to Lucrecia's grotto, and back in the space of one night?"

No one could answer Vincent's question.

"I believe the trip would take less than an hour on the Highwind." Vincent cocked his head towards Cid. "Correct?"

"Yeah, give or take." Cid said unwillingly, he did not like the idea of Vincent going back to that cave at all. What if he told her that Sephiroth wasn't really dead? How would he know that Vincent wouldn't kill himself then?

"So why didn't you take him last night then?" Cait Sith asked.

"Because The Highwind was being refuelled and I spent most of the night going over her from fore to aft, she didn't get though the fight with the weapons unscathed you know!" Cid growled teeth grinding on his cigarette.

"How long do we have before Metor strikes anyway?" Tifa asked. "An hour down to the grotto, and the extra hour that would add to the flight to the northern crater, do we really have time for it?"

"It'll take us half a day to get there anyway, and then we have to find the bastard, I say two hours ether way isn't going to make a difference." Cid muttered, refusing to look at Vincent.

"I believe we have at least two days before Meteor lands." Red pointed out. "I do not think Vincent's detour would jeopardise our mission."

"He's watched our backs I don't know how many times. And I've never heard him ask for anything from any of us." Yuffie said. "I say we let him."

"So it's an extra two hours of our lives in transit." Cid muttered glaring at the ninja. "You think your stomach can handle it?"

Yuffie gulped looking a little green already.

"Yeah. What kind of weakling do you take me for?"

Cloud coughed but the way his hand covered his mouth made it seem like it could have been a disguised laugh.

"Besides Cid's right out of us has a good reason for being against being stuck on this flying bucket it's me and I vote for the detour." Yuffie said.

It was then that Cloud stepped in and agreed that Vincent could visit the god damn woman, and that they had wasted enough time arguing.

And so here Cid and Cloud were in the damn cave watching as Vincent approached the pillar of crystal that incased the woman he loved. She didn't make an noise as he drew near and Vincent dared to raise aa hand and reach for the cold structure, suddenly the cave was filled with light. Blinding everyone. When they could see again, Vincent was flat on his back, half in the pool of water that surrounded the crystallised woman.

Cid ran to the gun man pulling the man out of the water. He was breathing harshly as if someone had just knocked the wind out of him and he seemed to be out cold.

And there was something else. Even though he was unconscious and Cid had dragged him a good three feet out of the water. His grip hadn't relaxed on the odd gun he was now holding.

"What the hell did you do to him woman!" Cid shouted. "And what's that?"

"He lied to me"

"So fucking what?"

"He needs the Death Penalty to save Sephiroth."

Cloud and Cid looked at each other.

"What?!"

"There's only one way to save him now…tell him…tell them both that…I'm so sorry…"

"Hey wait what did you do to him?" Cloud asked. "Wake him up!"

But the crystallised mother of Sephiroth didn't answer.

Vincent moaned. He blinked before he sat up staring down at the gun un his hand. If you could even call the thing a gun. It looked like it could give a rocket launcher a run for it's money in the power department.

He looked up at the piller of crystal with narrowed red eyes.

"Lucrecia…?"

When no answer came he nodded to himself and got to his feet and left the cave.

Cid turned to Cloud. "Ever get the feeling your missing something?"

"All the time Cid." Cloud sighed. "All the time."

**

* * *

AN2 : Just for the record, no I do not think Vincent is suicidal, but I do think that Cid and Cloud, and possibly some other members of the group may think he is.**

Poor guy needs a 'No I do NOT want to kill myself' T-shirt or something XD


End file.
